HealthInfo Canterbury
Overview of anxiety in teens & young adults
Tirohanga whānui ki āwangawanga ki ngā taiohi me rangatahi
The phone numbers mentioned at the end of this video only work in Australia. See Helping your teen with anxiety for phone numbers you can call for support in New Zealand.
Anxiety is a normal human emotion. But when anxiety takes over, it can get in the way of everyday life. Anxiety is common in young people. One in five people will have signs of an anxiety disorder by the age of 19.
Many changes happen in the teenage years. These can include:
- relationships, puberty and emerging sexuality
- changing schools, changes in friendships and peer pressure
- increasing pressure from schoolwork, exams and thinking about the future
- exposure to alcohol and drugs
- pressures from social media and internet content.
Anxiety is usually an appropriate response to new or difficult situations, such as starting a new school or schoolwork and exams. For most young people, their anxieties go away or change as they get older and learn that the situations aren't as bad as they feared.
Excessive anxiety is more complicated and tends to cause more problems. Your rangatahi (young person) has excessive anxiety if they keep being anxious despite reassurance. Sometimes their behaviour might change, such as avoiding situations to reduce the intensity of their feelings.
Causes of anxiety in teens & young adults
Anxiety is more common in rangatahi who have experienced:
- childhood trauma
- physical or sexual abuse
- poverty or social deprivation
- a parent with anxiety disorder
- mental illness or addiction in a parent or whānau (family) member.
Other factors that can lead to excessive anxiety in a rangatahi include:
- parenting issues
- prolonged stress
- loss or grief
- serious health issues
- learning difficulties.
Symptoms of anxiety in teens & young adults
A rangatahi with anxiety can have a wide range of symptoms. The symptoms can look like physical health issues, personality changes or challenging behaviour.
Physical symptoms of anxiety can include:
- stomach symptoms such as pain, nausea or diarrhoea
- headaches
- losing weight or loss of appetite
- not sleeping well
- not being able to relax.
A rangatahi with anxiety may also feel:
- unable to be by themselves
- irritable or angry
- distracted and unable to focus
- tearful
- excessively worried even when there aren't signs of trouble.
There may also be changes in behaviour, including:
- avoiding hard situations including school or social activities
- defiance
- seeking constant reassurance or approval
- repetitive behaviours such as hand washing or checking
- self-harm.
Treatment for anxiety in teens & young adults
The treatment for anxiety in rangatahi depends on how severe the problem is. Many rangatahi have mild symptoms that don't affect their daily life very much. They just need consistency from their parents and teachers and help to learn the skills to manage their fears and worries.
Other rangatahi have more serious anxiety problems. They may need group courses, family therapy or one-to-one therapy. For more information, see Getting help for my teen with anxiety.
Occasionally, medications are used to treat anxiety in rangatahi. This is usually done in consultation with a specialist.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- Attitude – In my mind: teen anxiety
Neuro-educator Nathan Wallis explains how anxiety affects rangatahi.
On the next page: Helping your teen with anxiety
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Last reviewed May 2023.
SourcesReview key: HIAXY-53690
